Commentary by Anne Johnson
Namaste! My name is Anne, and I teach kids and tots yoga at Simply Yoga in Zionsville. Yoga helps us explore our strong bodies and use the power of our amazing breath. Join me here each month to learn about a yoga pose and its benefits, and try it out with your family at home. Remember that there is no perfect in yoga. It’s ok to look silly, wobble a bit and laugh.
This month I’m excited to introduce you to the butterfly pose. The butterfly wasn’t always able to flutter gracefully from flower to flower. It started its life as a tiny caterpillar, munching on leaves. With practice and focus, the butterfly built a cocoon and went inside for a long rest. It was quiet and still and patient. Finally, it emerged as the beautiful butterfly we see today.
Do you want to become a butterfly yourself? Sit on the ground with the soles of your feet touching; knees out. Lift and lower your knees to flap them like wings. Make the butterfly even more realistic by using your fingers to make antenna above your ears. Flutter and fly. Breathe your way across the sky!
By becoming a butterfly, we can stretch our inner thighs, remember to sit up straight and tall, feel supported by the earth below us and keep our joints and tummy organs healthy and strong.
Butterflies remind us of the beauty of change, and the only sure thing about life is that it’s full of change. By staying true to your breath, you will handle changes in your life with grace.
Anne Johnson teaches kids, tots, expectant and new mothers yoga at Simply Yoga in Zionsville. As a 200 RYT registered yoga teacher and former engineer, she enjoys writing and sharing “adult ideas” in a way that makes yoga fitness accessible to children.
